buffer
n.— «As it opens, a confident Wayne saunters into a class reunion, wearing another man’s nametag, making conversation and parting the clueless “buffers” (the term for non-Traveller folk) from their wallets.» —“On TV: A wealth of talent in FX’s newest series ‘The Riches’” by Melanie McFarland Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, Washington) Mar. 8, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
The adjectives canine and feline refer to dogs and cats. But how does English address other groups of animals? Plus, cabin fever has been around much longer than the current pandemic. That restless, antsy, stir-crazy feeling goes back to the days...